Sixteen Candles
by reaction-to-steverandle
Summary: "What made you want to hang out with a bunch of no good greasers like us?" He asks curiously, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I stare into the water blankly. Why am I here? I know exactly why I'm here. I'm here because I'm tired of my dull and routine lifestyle. I'm here because I crave some excitement, and I know the greasers of the East side can provide me with just that.
1. Breaking Free from My Old Self

**Sixteen**  
_Chapter One_

**Author's Note:** If any of you are familiar with the TV show, _Freaks and Geeks_, you'll probably recognizes a similarity between the show and this story. I only wanted to do an _Outsiders_ take on it, and I can't even begin to express how amazed I am with how this chapter turned out. I hope you all like this as much as me. :)

Here's a little background information that should be noted. This story begins in Oct. 1964 - almost a year before the book takes place (so, Soda recently turned 16 as well as the main character). Most of the characters are sophomores in high school. Darry, Soda and Pony's parents are still alive, so Soda is still in school. I think I'm going to make both boys still work at the DX - instead of full time, Soda will be part time with Steve - but I'm not sure. Yes, this fanfic will follow the events of the story, and I don't know if it'll actually reach the point where the book begins. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _The Outsiders_ or _Freaks and Geeks_.

* * *

I follow behind a group of greasers from Tiber Street Tigers; my nerves are eating away at my insides and inside my stomach, the butterflies are going absolutely crazy.

Their group continues onward, stepping through the high school's front doors and into the October air. I stop right outside the entryway, scanning the parking lot nervously for Sodapop Curtis and the group of boys he hangs around.

I feel myself yearning to vomit when my eyes settle on Sodapop and his friends. I anxiously gnaw on my cheek while sauntering towards the group.

I recognize Two-Bit Mathews and Dallas Winston as the boys leaning against the old, beat-up truck, and if I remember correctly, Steve Randle is perched on top of the hood with his arm wrapped around an unfamiliar blonde's waist.

Sodapop looks up, failing to suppress a smirk as his eyes catch mine. "Well, I'll be damned," he laughs. "I didn't think you'd actually take me up on my offer." I merely shrug my shoulders, teeth moving to bite on my bottom lip. "You know Two-Bit, Steve and Dal, but this here is Sandy, Steve's girl, Evie, and Dally's girl, Sylvia." He points each of them out to me, and before I have a chance to introduce myself to them, Sodapop beats me to it. "Fellas, this is Eileen. She's in most of my classes." Sylvia smacks her gum loudly, fully observing me.

"What's a ritzy broad like her doin' out here?" She asks rudely, turning to face Soda. "Ain't you got other friends you can hang out with?" Dallas chuckles quietly under his breath, and from the corner of my eye, I can see Steve and Evie giggling quietly together. Sodapop rolls his eyes in annoyance, turning to look at her.

"Sylvia, can't you be nice for least once?" He turns to look at me again, casually wrapping his arm around Sandy's waist. "Well, a couple of the Brumley boys challenged old Stevie here to a drag race at 12:30. We're all gonna skip until then. You wanna come?" Evie snorts loudly, laying her head on Steve's shoulder; Two-Bit stands beside her, grinning uncontrollably. Unintentionally, I tense up.

"Do you really think she'd wanna skip school? C'mon, Soda, that's like asking Buck to give out free drinks to the whole bar. It ain't gonna happen." Evie announces. I can feel my cheeks heating up, and with each comment these girls throw at me, I feel myself regretting my decision to even come out here. Sylvia nods in agreement, leaning against Dallas. Two-Bit takes a swig of beer.

"I dunno, Evie," he comments, pulling the bottle back. "It might take a little persuadin', but I think we can get her to agree." I bite back a smile while silently telling myself to relax.

"C'mon, Princess," Dallas gripes. "We ain't got all day for you to make up your mind. Hurry before the lunch bell rings." Everyone turns their attention towards me; once again, I tense up. I can feel my hand starting to become slick with a thin sheet of sweat, and without even thinking, I nod my head. Sylvia doesn't appear too happy with my decision, but Sodapop and Two-Bit look excited that I'm agreeing to partake in their erratic activities.

XxXxXxX

Steve and Evie claim the cab, generously leaving the rest of us to ride in the bed of his truck. "Drag racin' is real fun," Two-Bit explains, casually slinging his arm around my shoulder. "'Specially if you're in one. Hey, Sodie, do you think Steve'll let Eileen ride with him durin' the drag race?" Sylvia grins wildly.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I bet she'll have loads of fun." Dallas smirks at his girlfriend's suggestion before pulling her chin towards hers. Following that, the two start kissing and progressing into other things I've never wanted to witness. Sodapop grins jovially, not realizing the torture it'd be putting me through.

"I'm sure if we beg him enough."

"No," I answer weakly, barely able to control the wavering of my voice. I shake my head slowly for more emphasis. The small group looks at me; Sylvia and Dallas look down on me while everyone else stares sadly, silently expressing the hurt they're feeling from my decision. I swallow hard, chewing the inside of my cheek - a habit of mine when I'm nervous. "No." I get a grip on my voice, firmly stating I won't do it. "I'm not drag racing with Steve. I don't want to." Sodapop eases up, allowing a small grin to take over his lips.

"Trust me, Eileen," he smiles. "It sounds scary at first, but once you get goin', it's a hell of a lotta fun. C'mon, I promise ya ain't gonna regret it." Underneath me, I can feel the truck decreasing in speed. I break my attention away from Soda and to my surroundings, temporarily setting the idea of me getting up close and personal with drag racing to the side.

"I thought 'em Brumley boys were suppose to be here," Two-Bit comments, looking around. "It ain't like 'em to show up late to a drag race."

"I ain't too sure why we're here so early. I didn't think the race was suppose to start until 12:30." Sandy comments quietly, playing with her fingers.

"Steve, what the hell're you doin'?" Soda inquires loudly, pulling Sandy forcefully against his body. Her eyes widen suddenly at the contact, but her surprise is replaced with innocent giggles seconds later.

Steve throws the driver's side door open and hops to the dirt covered ground below. "I dunno," he answers, shutting the door behind him. "We ain't got nothin' better to do, so I figured we'd come early." Evie's door opens, but unlike Steve, she climbs out at a slower pace - almost like she's trying to make herself more appealing to everyone around her.

"Sylvia, come with me to the woods," Evie demands. "I gotta take a piss, and I ain't itchin' to go alone." She rolls her eyes, but, nonetheless, she pulls away from Dallas. Sandy sits up abruptly.

"Evie, I'm comin' with." She announces, carefully climbing over the wall of the truck bed. Sandy hits the ground and smoothes her skirt lovingly before skipping to Steve's girl's side. Evie and Sandy turn, and with Sylvia following behind slowly, they head towards the woods.

Before I know it, they're out of sight, and I'm left alone with Two-Bit, Soda, Steve and Dally.

"Ey, Steve, the boys and I were talkin', and we think you should let ole Eileen here ride with ya durin' the drag race. We gotta break her into our crazy antics somehow." Soda smirks, elbowing his best friend playfully. Steve snorts loudly.

"I ain't 'bout to let her ride with me," he answers. I feel relief wash over me instantly, drowning out any feeling of offense I was beginning to experience. "You nuts, Sodapop? Evie'll have a fit if I let another girl ride with me. Sides, I ain't takin' the chance of her messin' up my interior."

"C'mon, Steve," Two-Bit whines in protest. "She ain't gonna mess up the insides. Lighten up, Buddy." Dally snorts quietly.

"It ain't like she's Two-Bit," Dallas comments. "I'll bet anythin' I have when I say there's a real good chance she's cleaner than 'im." Although it's an insult to him, Two-Bit nods his head happily.

Steve looks towards me, eyeing me suspiciously. Inside, I can feel myself growing hotter. In fact, I would go as far to say that there's a good chance my internal temperature has exceeded the external by several more degrees. My eyebrows scrunch together nervously; my teeth find their way back to my cheek, absentmindedly chewing away at the inside.

"It ain't gonna kill ya, Steve, let her ride with ya." Soda coaxes, gently nudging his friend. Off in the distance, the low rumble of engines make themselves present. Steve looks towards the noise, and once he realizes the Brumly boys are drawing near, he sighs loudly. He looks me straight in the eyes, not giving me a single word. To be honest, he's intimidating me more than usual, and I'll give anything I have to make him stop.

"You can ride in the passenger's seat, but on one condition," Steve warns lowly. "If you so much as mess up a single thing, you better run. I finally got it to the way that I like it, and I ain't too hot for the idea off fixin' anything inside again." He's terrifying me, and even though I have as much courage as I can muster up, I still nod my head weakly. "All right, c'mon, them boys are comin', and they're gonna wanna start as soon as they get here." Steve steps away from the truck, heading straight for the driver's side. Dallas and Two-Bit climb out of the bed wordlessly, but Sodapop watches me gleefully.

"You're gonna have so much fun, Eileen. Steve's a professional when it comes to drivin'. Hell, believe it or not, but that boy can drive anything on wheels." Soda hops over the side of the truck. He hits the ground hard, but nonetheless, he turns, offering his hands to me. I take them silently, allowing Soda to help me reach the ground safely without my skirt flying up - exposing something teenage boys don't need to see.

One of the trucks pull up along side Steve's. I finish getting myself situated while straining to hear what words the two boys are exchanging to each other. Each are mysteriously talking quietly, and the only things I can pick up on are "75 dollars", "1 week" and "you're gonna lose".

The two competitors get themselves ready, patiently waiting for the countdown to begin. Two-Bit steps in front of the trucks, positioning himself in the center of both vehicles to prevent any human harm.

Once the countdown begins, my nerves start running high. Swallowing hard, I clutch the handle above my door tightly and I grab a hold of the seat in between Steve and me. At the moment, there's only one thing on my mind.

I hope Steve Randle is as good as Soda made him out to be.

Steve presses the pedal to the flooring of the truck, sending the automobile lurching forward. My heart begins to pound harder, and the constant fear of it pounding through my chest looms over me.

Brumly pulls ahead of us, and underneath his breath, I can hear Steve muttering a few swear words. "I ain't 'bout to let that asshole win!" He exclaims, applying more pressure to the gas pedal. The speedometer continues to climb higher; the two Brumly boys ahead are soon beside us and before long, they're behind his truck. Steve begins to grin; he's fully aware that he's won the race.

Not too long after the two started their drag race, it ends. Steve won, no doubt, and like Sodapop said, he's an absolute professional at driving.

I turn towards Steve with a grin slowly, very slowly, consuming my once scared face. He unsuccessfully cocks an eyebrow at me, wondering what my problem is. "What's wrong with your face?" Steve asks quietly - a rarity for him. My happiness dims; a couple chuckles escape through my lips.

"Your friends were right. That was fun!"

XxXxXxX

It doesn't take much convincing from Soda to persuade Steve to give him and Sandy a ride back to her house, but he seems a little more apprehensive when I ask the same question. "You ain't a greaser," Steve stares, overlooking my appearance. I nod my head once. "Ain't it gonna be dangerous for some greasers to take a girl like you home?"

"I don't see why it would be," I retort, planting my fists firmly on my hips. "I'm not from the West side, so none of you are going to get jumped. Besides, everyone is still in school and at work, so you'll be fine." Steve rolls his eyes, quickly growing annoyed with me. Frankly, I don't care right now. I'm upset.

"Steve, please?" Sodapop pleads. "Her house is on the way to the East side, so you don't have to go out of your way." I shift, crossing my arms over my chest and resting my weight on my right side.

He groans loudly, burying his face in his hands. "I give up," he mutters. "Get in the back of the damn truck. If it'll get you off my back, I'll take you home. Good Lord." I smile victoriously, climbing into the back with Sandy and Soda. Evie and Steve both find their ways to the front. He starts the truck and begins the journey to my middle class house.

XxXxXxX

"Eileen!" Dad exclaims once he realizes I'm home. I shut the door behind me, kicking my shoes off and dropping my backpack to the ground. "Sis, what are you doing home so soon?" I can see from the look in his eyes that he's not exactly pleased with my choice of skipping class. In response, I shrug my shoulders.

"I was hanging out with my new friends. They're from the East side."

* * *

As every fanfiction author says, feel free to leave a review! I would really appreciate it. :)

If you have any questions regarding this story, please, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to clear up any confusion you might have.


	2. I'm Never Going Back

**Sixteen**  
_Chapter Two_

**Author's Note:** Hello, Everyone. I hope you're all having a fabulous day.

I would've updated the other day, but before a new chapter is posted, my goal is to have a couple extra chapters written. Also, something terrible is happening with my grandfather, and that had delayed my writing that was suppose to occur over the weekend. Although I won't bore you with the details, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I would really appreciate it.

And lastly, I'd like to thank andthatwasenough & bindizoya-sagittaquarius. I really appreciate both of you reviewing, and I hope to hear from both of you with each new chapter to come!

In chapter two, we meet a few new characters, and I'm curious to see what you all think of them. My cousin currently doesn't know how to feel about one of the lovely ladies in this chapter. ;)

* * *

Dad didn't seem too concerned earlier when he found out I was hanging out with kids from the East side. Initially, I was pretty shocked. My parents were aware of how some of the kids on that side of town behaved, and when my dad only stared at me blankly, not displaying any form of alarm, I thought maybe he, along with my mom, had experienced a change of heart. My parents were affectionate and always willing to help others in need, so I thought they were more accepting of people on the East side, knowing fully that they could hardly make ends meet each week.

Boy, was I wrong with that guess.

It turns out Dad didn't seem to care too much about my new take of friends because he was waiting to react once Mom got home. Now, I'm aware he was waiting for her to know, so he could feed off her reaction for the fear that if he had responded while alone, he would've either been too hard or too lenient on me.

Now that I realize this is what he's doing, I'm actually pretty thankful for it.

"Honey, we need to talk about Eileen's latest interest," Dad begins. Mom, along with my older sister, Imogene, and older brother, Douglas, look up towards him. For the fear of how my mom will react, I continue staring blankly at my plate, pushing my spaghetti noodles around with a preoccupied mind. "I believe she skipped her afternoon classes today, and she told me that she was hanging out with her new friends from the East side." Imogene gasps loudly, successfully catching my attention.

"What's the matter, Imogene?"

"Mom, she's hanging out with greasers," she explains. "She's hanging out with hoods. They're going to get her into serious trouble. Do you know what their idea of fun consists of?" When Mom turns to look at me, I can see her eyes swimming with worry. "If she makes them mad, they might even hurt her."

"That's not true, Mom!"

"Honey, I don't know if I'm comfortable with you hanging out with those teens. If what Imogene said is true, those boys, and even the girls, could possibly hurt you. You've seen them on the news. Darling, they hold up gas stations and stuff like that. They're well trained when it comes to fights, and I wouldn't be surprised if their arguments resorted to fists automatically." Dad nods his head, wordlessly expressing he shares the same concern as my mother.

"Mom, they're not as bad as you think they are," I share. "I don't doubt that there are some dangerous greasers out there, but these guys, and girls, aren't that bad." Douglas swallows some of his dinner, staring at me the whole time.

"What's their names?"

"Well, there's Sodapop Curtis, Two-Bit Mathews, Steve Randle, Dallas Winston, and some girls named Sandy, Sylvia and Evie." Imogene's eyes widen drastically while Douglas looks towards Mom nervously.

"Yeah," he answers quietly. "I don't blame you for not wanting her to hang around them. Soda and Two-Bit aren't bad, but Steve has quite a temper, and Dallas is in jail more than he's not. Rumor has it that he's got a long list down at the station, and all of the cops know him by name." Imogene's face drains of color, and to be honest, I'm not too sure if it's over the description Douglas has provided my family with of Dallas or if it's because I consider those boys my new friends.

"If those two boys aren't that great, then surely the girls aren't the nicest too, right?" Dad asks, desperately craving more information in order to keep me, his little girl, safe and away from those "goons". Douglas merely shrugs his shoulders.

"I've heard about them," Imogene speaks up. "Carolyn's little sister is fairly good friends with Sandy. She's not too bad; from what I understand, she's a ditz, but she's an absolute sweetheart, willing to go out of her way for anyone. She's not like a typical greaser girl, but as for the other two, I haven't heard such good things about." Mom looks at her, silently pleading with her to continue.

"Come on, Imogene, tell us what you know about those other girls." Dad speaks gently, persuading my oldest sibling to expose them of Evie and Sylvia's persona.

"From what I understand, Sylvia is a frequent customer of Buck's. She has this on-again-off-again relationship with Dallas Winston, and whenever they're not together, she's down at his place dancing dirty with some other men. I don't think Evie is as bad as her. I think Evie is more civil and not as erotic, but I know that she can either be your best friend or she can be your worst enemy. Either way, I've heard that Evie is an absolute witch, even if you're her best friend." Dad and Mom share a quick glance with each other before turning their attention towards me.

"We don't want you hanging out with those teens again," Dad instructs. "If we catch your, or if Imogene or Douglas catch you, there will be severe consequences. Do you understand, young lady?" As discreet as I can be, I roll my eyes; to my amazement, my parents fail to notice.

"Eileen, it's for your own good," Mom adds sweetly. "You're smart, and you're a good girl. You don't need to be getting mixed up with teens like that. What happened to Jacquelyn? Aren't you two still friends? You have her. You have no reason to hang around those teens. Do you understand why we're doing this?" With an agitated grumble, I answer her question.

"Yes, Mom, I understand."

XxXxXxX

It's been almost a week since my parents calmly demanded that I remain as far away from my greasers friends as possible. For the first few days, I felt guilty and awful for disobeying them, but as the time spent with them progresses, the guilt goes away. Although greasers are notorious for negative things in this town, this group is more fun than Jacquelyn and our small group of friends ever were.

At lunch, Jacquelyn eagerly waves me over with a gigantic smile on her face. My eyes dart towards the corner of the cafeteria, where Sodapop and his friends are sitting. Like Jacquelyn, he's motioning me towards their group. I bite down on my bottom lip, deciding on where to go. With my old friend acknowledging me, I'm starting to feel the ever familiar feeling of guilt that I was so positive I abandoned earlier this week. The only positive about this reoccurring feeling is that the source isn't from disobeying my parents.

Instead, it's from pushing my grade school best friend out of my life.

With a heavy sigh, I start towards Soda's table. I try not to think about Jacquelyn, and how she's probably watching my back with hurt set in her eyes. My mind dwells on it; no matter how much I force myself to think of something else, the mental image of her makes itself present.

I drop my tray beside Soda, controlling myself as best as I can to not look back at Jacquelyn, and I can feel myself wanting to give in. My self-control is weakening, and I know that any minute, I'm going to cave. "Hey, what's wrong?" Soda asks, grabbing my attention. I look at him, plastering a fake smile onto my face.

"Nothing," I lie, trying harder to push her out of my mind. Sodapop, along with Sandy and Two-Bit, don't look convinced. "I promise, nothing is wrong. I'm fine." All three of them continue staring at me while Dallas, Sylvia, Steve and Evie carry on with their own conversation. "I have to say, you guys are really lucky my brother and sister aren't in the same lunch as us." Soda seems to forget about my previous guilty state. He cracks a wide grin.

I couldn't help but share with them what my parents said to me. I should've known better; I should've kept it to myself for the fear that I would manage to offend them, but I couldn't help myself. I felt they deserved to know.

To my surprise, they took it exceptionally well. Soda, Two-Bit and Sandy found a lot of humor in it; they laughed for a good few minutes. Sylvia merely rolled her eyes, and I managed to get a self-satisfied smirk from Dallas, a grin from Evie and a few seconds of laughter from Steve.

I had felt fairly accomplished, no doubt.

"Oh, yes," Sandy giggles. "I bet these hooligans are gonna jump ya after school." Sodapop wraps his arm around Sandy's shoulders, pulling her against his body. He presses a kiss to her temple before pulling her into a headlock. "Soda!" She sequels through laughs, struggling to break free.

"Sandy, you're givin' away our plans! Now, she's gonna know." He playfully scolds, ruffling up her hair. Seconds later, he releases her.

"You two are nuts."

XxXxXxX

Sodapop takes a seat beside me in English, dropping his copy of Grapes of Wrath onto the table. "Hello, Doll Face," he greets, sitting down. "Steve an' I are gonna head out on the town tonight. Wanna come with? It's Friday night an' all. You ain't got plans, do you?" I shake my head slowly, trying to comprehend what's going on.

It sounds as though Sandy and Evie aren't going, and if that's the case, why in the world would Soda want me to tag along?

Before I think twice, I voice my concern. "If it's only you and Steve, why do you want me to go?" Soda shrugs.

"I dunno," he comments. "We're gonna have a fun time tonight, and I was just wonderin' if you wanna go or not. Are ya in?"

"I don't know. I'll think about it. What do you two even plan on doing anyway?" Soda starts to smile like a madman, ultimately causing newer concerns of mine to skyrocket. "Soda, I can't get into trouble with the law or else my parents are going to kill me."

"It's a surprise," he answers, staring at me innocently. "But trust me, we ain't gonna get caught by any police. If we do, we'll take all the blame, and we'll convince the officer to not pin anything on you." My eyes widen, and I'm sure he's staring at an expression of absolute horror. Sodapop laughs, turning to get his desk ready for class.

Weakly, I turn forward to face the chalkboard.

As Mrs Gramm bores the class with her overanalyzed explanation of Grapes of Wrath, I find myself thinking hard about all of the excitement going out with Soda and Steve tonight will bring.

Lately, the idea of getting caught with these greasers excites me. I know that sneaking out of the house once my parents and siblings have retired to their room will bring an adrenaline rush, and once the idea inhabits itself into my mind, I find myself start to crave the rush.

I anxiously tap my fingers on the top of my desk. I'm sure everyone around me can tell I'm starting to get antsy, and frankly, I don't know if I'll be able to remain calm until the end of class. I'm going to explode.

I can't wait to tell Soda that I'm in for whatever antics he and Steve plan on partaking in this evening.

XxXxXxX

Jacquelyn races to my side, inviting herself to walk home with me. Honestly, I don't care. I'm too engrossed in the thought of what Soda and Steve have in mind for later tonight.

All I know is that I'm suppose to be at the end of my block by 12:30 this evening.

"How come you didn't sit with me today?" Jacquelyn asks, making her presence known. Instead of a verbal answer, I shrug my shoulders. "I've noticed you been hanging out with those greasers lately. What's up with that?"

"I don't know, Jackie."

"I don't want them getting you into trouble. You're aware that it's going to happen, right? What do your parents think of them? Do they know about how much trouble they're going to get you in?" She impatiently brushes her curly brown hair out of her face, waiting for my response.

"Jacquelyn," I sigh. "They aren't as bad as you think they are. Yes, the whole town of Tulsa makes them sound like they're going to kill anyone who looks at them wrong, but no, they're actually fun to hang around." She frowns, weakly shaking her head.

"No, I highly doubt that, Eileen. They're no good, trouble making hoodlums."

"Seriously, Jacquelyn?" I groan, rolling my eyes. "Sure, they do get into trouble. Who doesn't? No one is perfect. But is it really necessary to degrade them when you're not on speaking terms with any of them? Do you really have a right to talk terribly about them when all you're familiar with is the stereotypes that the soc put on them?" She opens her mouth to intervene. Before she can get in a word, I proceed with my rant. "I'm not trying to say they're perfect, but neither are you, Jacquelyn. And before you start to criticize them, how about trying to get to know one of them? After that, you have something to base your currently insulting opinion off of."

She stops abruptly, taken off guard that I would basically defend a bunch of poorer teens. I halt seconds later. I turn to look at her; Jackie stares back at me angrily; her arms crossed over her chest tightly. "If that's the case, don't come crawling back to me when you realize they're screwing up your future." Jacquelyn turns suddenly, storming off in the opposite direction.

I watch her wander off, wondering if she could have possibly been anymore dramatic.

* * *

I would love to hear from all of you - whether you're leaving feedback on the story or your thoughts on the newest additions to the story. Please, don't be shy! :)


	3. Danger Zone

**Sixteen**  
_Chapter Three_

**Author's Note:** Ouch. No reviews for chapter two? Oh well. It was only one chapter. I won't let it get to me.

I'd like to believe that the last chapter was good, and I thought it was, but I'll let you think whatever. Now, I hope you guys like this chapter, and if you do, please leave feedback. It helps me get an idea as to how people are liking this story, and it's sort of a big blow when no one reviews, ya dig?

* * *

I spend my afternoon, lounging around the house and anxiously waiting for 12:30 to approach. Mom shoots me several concerning looks, and I'm stuck reassuring her that I'm perfectly fine more times than I can count. In fact, I lost count after the seventh time.

The remainder of the night passes by faster than Doug can spell "drunkenness". Before I realize it, it's 12:00, and my anxiety is starting to rise. At the point, I fear my family will never go to bed, ultimately ruining my evening plans.

My attention remains fixated on the wall clock above my desk. The time ticks on; my parents show absolutely no sign of venturing off to their room, and the movie sounds as though it's never going to end.

Around 12:20, my parents and siblings finally call it a night.

XxXxXxX

Soda hops out of Steve's truck, landing hard on the ground. "Hello, Miss Eileen," he greets, stepping out of the way. Sodapop makes a sweeping gesture with a grin brighter than Dallas Winston's future on his usually cheerful face. "I hope you're ready for a night fulla fun and crazy antics."

"What are we even doing tonight?" I climb into Steve's truck, reluctantly scooting over towards his best friend. For a split second, I catch Steve's attention. He doesn't look too entirely thrilled, but he remains absolutely quiet.

"Well, Miss Eileen," Soda explains, shutting the truck door beside him. He situates himself in the seat; Steve pulls away from the curb briskly, driving us into a night that's sure to be remembered forever. "As you found out not too long ago, Steve is awful good at drivin'. Tonight, we're gonna show you his other talent. Tonight, we're gonna lift hubcaps off the car 'round the neighborhood."

"Are you seriously?" I ask plainly, staring straight faced out the windshield. "You two made me sneak out of my house, so I can watch you two steal hubcaps?" Steve suppresses a smirk while Soda nods his head proudly.

After nearly 20 minutes of driving, Steve chooses the first victim – a house deep in the heart of the East side. My blood runs cold catching sight of the shack; it looks like something you would see in a horror film.

It looks as though someone has abandoned the house. I'm only aware that someone lives there because there's a light, dimmed by drawn curtains, sitting in front of the window. Observing the external aspect of this person's property brings me ten different degrees of disgust. The grass is outrageously high – maybe 4 or 5 inches above what's normal, and it grosses me out to thing of all the nasty bugs crawling around within there.

Steve leans against the steering wheel, looking over towards his friend. "Soda, take the steerin' wheel in case we needa get away fast." Steve commands, slowly opening his door. Without another word, he slips out into the dark, starry night. Once he's gone, Soda nudges me, urging me to slide into the driver's seat. Stubbornly, I shake my head.

"No way," I reply, staring nervously at the steering wheel. "There's no way in heck I'm going to be the getaway driver. I have no idea how to drive, and I don't have my license."

"Hell, neither do I. Trade me places then, so I can be the driver." Soda climbs over my lap, diving into the seat once occupied by Steve. I turn my attention back towards him. With something in hand, he's working away at prying the hubcap from the tire.

"Is he going to take all four?" I whisper, watching him in fascination.

"Sure is. S'long as he don't get caught," he answers. I bring my bottom lip in between my teeth. Once again, the idea of getting caught brings excitement to my otherwise dull and routine life. "Once time we got caught, and it was bad. He unknowinly picked Old Man William's house. Lemme tell ya, that man is, hands down, the meanest man on the face of this Earth."

"What'd he do to you guys?"

"He called the fuzz," Soda answers with a shrug, staring blankly out at Steve. "They let me off with a warnin', but Steve got arrested. Damn, I ain't never seen Evie so upset when she heard the news. She was bawlin'." He fades off, laughing slightly. "He ain't a bad guy, Eileen, I swear he ain't."

"Huh?"

"I ain't too sure if you realize this, but I can tell he scares ya. Whenever you look at 'im, I can see the fear in your eyes, but he ain't as bad as you think. He's been through a helluva lot more than any teen wants to go through." Soda looks at me; when I fail to make any form of response, he continues telling me Steve's story. "I'm sure he won't be too happy that I'm tellin' you all this, but the only person he ever loved was his ma. Then, something bad happened to her. I ain't sure what happened because he refuses to talk about it, but something awful happened. When she died, Steve was lost. His heartbreak turned into depression, and he became a shell of the fun-loving person he use to be. Aside from them soc, his mother's death is a big reason why he don't like anything." Soda blank expression turns perplexed in a heartbeat.

My heart sinks into my stomach upon hearing the information he's throwing on me. I was fully conscious that greasers didn't possess the greatest lives, but I was oblivious that they could live in such conditions. Deep down, I wonder if they all live like this, and it makes me a little nauseous to think that some might live in conditions more awful than Steve's.

"To be honest, I ain't sure who took Mrs Randle's death harder – Steve or his father." Soda laughs humorlessly. "His dad was a hell of a mess afterwards. He started drinkin' a lot, and he started to verbally abuse Steve. Sometimes he'd get physically. His dad wasn't no help. He only added onto his hatred for everything, and he made Steve even more depressed. He just made everything worse." Soda repeats gently. He directs his attention back towards Steve; I look at him too. He's busily working away at the third hubcap. "It'll be a miracle if someone cracks his bitterness. And we'll know that hell has frozen over if someone can ever get him to love them as much as he loved his mom."

Steve pries the fourth hubcap off. After stacking them on top of each other, he rises up and leisurely stalks back to the truck. A big, victorious smile is plastered on his face.

"I've never seen him so happy."

XxXxXxX

Soda is left in charge of choosing the next location; the whole truck ride there is absolutely silent, and to be honest, it was a little uncomfortable.

He locates a cleaner East side house, and with a bright smile, he emerges from the depths of the truck to go do his business - leaving Steve and me alone.

I glide over to the driver's seat. Being careful as to not touch my dirty shoes to Steve's seats, I turn to face him. He stares out the window, looking incredibly bored. "So, it's a little cold out tonight." I comment, attempting to start a conversation.

Soda's story tugged at my heart strings, leading me to actually give the greaser a chance. Plus, I'm desperate for the awkward silence to go away.

Steve leans forward, digging around for something under the seat. Moments later, he straightens up, holding a black garment firmly in his hand. "Here, take Soda's jacket. He ain't gonna mind." Steve extends his hand, offering me Soda's jacket. I take it silently, offering him a small smile in thanks.

XxXxXxX

Steve climbs out of the truck for the third time tonight, and this time, Sodapop urges me to follow him. In response, I try to protest, using the defense that I don't want to get in major trouble. With a teasing wink, Soda tells me I'll only get in trouble if we all get caught. I roll my eyes, and when Steve knocks hurriedly on the window, I find myself in dire need of an answer.

I cave; reluctantly, I climb out of the truck, following Steve to the nearest car.

"I don't know how to do this!" I whisper in frustration - frustrated that Soda managed to get me to do this against my will. Steve turns around, shooting me a smirk of absolute amusement. It frightens me; it makes me wonder if giving Steve Randle a chance is going to be a good idea.

"It ain't that hard," he shares, heading to the back of his truck. Steve grabs something before leading me towards the car. "Are you gonna be able to do this, Princess, or are you gonna sit there like a bump on a log?" Through the night, I shoot Steve a dirty glare, annoyed at his choice of nickname.

"Listen here, Steve Randle," I shoot back, suddenly feeling confident. "Don't you dare call me a princess again or else you'll regret it." He continue to smirk, seemingly unfazed by my open threat.

"You sure can be a little spitfire, can't ya?" Steve turns, kneeling down next to a car that looks like my father's. He silently starts working away at the hubcap; my eyes nervously dart around the other areas of this person's property. "Are you gonna join me or are you gonna try an' draw attention to us?" Steve inquires. I look down only to find him peering back up at me.

"I'm sorry," I mutter, rolling my eyes. "What are you going to do anyway if you get caught?" I sink to my knees, lazily leaning against the car.

"You better believe I'm gonna run like hell to get out of here," he replies, turning his attention back to the tire. "I ain't 'bout to let the fuzz take me in. My dad'll shit himself, and it'll be hell for everyone involved. You included, Princess." I sit back on my feet, crossing my arms over my chest uncomfortably.

Deep down, it makes me feel incredibly awkward that I know more about Steve than he's aware of. I almost want to spill, letting him know what Soda had shared, and I almost do until I think about the consequences that'll surely follow.

I'm not too familiar with Steve Randle, but from what I've observed in all of the classes I've had with him over the years, I know he has quite the temper. It's not hard to make angry, and it'll give him more of a reason to fight – something I'm almost positive he enjoys doing.

Knowing this, I wonder if it'd cause tension between Soda and Steve if I let him in that I know about his home life.

In the end, I decide to keep my mouth shut.

"Hey, who's out there? What the hell are you doing?" Someone calls loudly, stepping on their front porch. Steve's head spins around rapidly.

My heart starts racing, pounding hard against my chest. I can feel tears springing to my eyes; we actually got caught. Several questions run through my head, but the one that continues to repeat itself is: _are we going to get arrested?_ Just that thought alone makes me want to curl up in a ball and die. I've never been in trouble with the law before.

Steve swears loudly, reaching for my arm. He yanks me to my feet and runs towards his truck with me in tow. "I've already called the cops!" The person from the front porch yells. "They're on their way!" We reach his truck; Steve throws the driver's side door open and pushes me inside.

Once the door slams shut, adrenaline starts to replace the fear. We're actually going to get away, and once we're far enough away from this house, there's no way the police will be able to find us.

Ten minutes later, red and blue lights are flashing behind us.

"Shit," Steve mutters, pulling over. Both vehicles roll to a stop, and the officer takes his sweet time strolling to Steve's side of the truck. Steve watches him in the mirror, sighing loudly. "Any damn day would be nice, fat ass." He grumbles impatiently.

Steve cranks the window down, waiting for the officer to reach us. When he does, he doesn't look too happy. "We received a complaint saying a couple of kids were spotted outside someone's home, and they were mighty suspicious looking. Are you three hoods the perpetrators?"

My eyes widen. My breath catches in my throat. I recognize the voice. Nervously, I turn to look at him.

As I suspected, it's Mr Rivera – a good friend of my dad's.

He recognizes me almost immediately, and once he does, a look of surprise appears on his face. "Eileen? What the hell are you doing running around with these boys? Lord, do your parents know you're with them?"

"You know him?" Soda inquires incredulously.

"All rights, fellas. I'll let you two off with a warning, and I'm feeling generous tonight, so I'm going to pretend I don't see all of the hubcaps in the bed." Steve and Soda look relieved, and I desperately wish I could say the same. "As for you, Eileen, I think you better step out of the vehicle. I think your parents will appreciate it when they hear where you've been and why I brought you home. C'mon now." Steve opens the door and steps out. I follow behind him reluctantly, and behind me, I can hear Soda tell me that he's sorry.

XxXxXxX

My ride home with Mr Rivera is silent, and any minute from now I'm due to succumb to my nerves and vomit everywhere.

As soon as he breaks the news, I know my parents are going to be all over me, and considering they're going to be rudely awakened, my punishment is going to be 20 times worse.

The thought alone makes me want to cry.

"Let's go, Missy," Mr Rivera says, shutting the car off. I look out the window, surprised that we're already at my house. I think twice about pleading with him to keep this our secret, but I know it'll be to no avail. He's strict with his own children, and since he's such good friends with my parents, there's no way I'll get any special treatment.

He opens his door, catching my attention. I reluctantly climb out of the car, and following behind him, I trudge to the door.

Mr Rivera makes me knock - loudly - on the door, and moments later, two very confused parents of mine answer. "Frank? Eileen? What's going on here?" Dad asks tiredly. Mom barely suppresses a yawn behind him. Mr Rivera shifts on his feet, waiting for me to share the news. When he realizes I'm not so eager to, he takes it upon himself to indirectly announce that I'm becoming a threat to society.

"I caught your daughter disturbing the peace with two hoods from the East side."

* * *

Please review! I'd love to hear what you all think. :)


	4. Stranger in My Own House

**Sixteen**  
_Chapter Four_

**Author's Note: **I'll be completely honest. I don't really remember what happens in this chapter. Oops. Either way, I hope you all like it!

* * *

Mom cries out once the words leave Mr Rivera's mouth; Dad looks far from pleased. As for me, I stare blankly at the concrete below me, absentmindedly kicking around imaginary dirt. "Eileen Elizabeth, what did we tell you?" Dad stops himself short, suddenly remembering that Frank Rivera is still present. He clears his throat awkwardly. "Uh, thank you, Frank. We really appreciate you bringing her home especially at this hour." With a nod of his head, Mr Rivera turns and heads back to his car.

Once his back is facing us, Dad grabs my arm and furiously yanks me into the house.

"Were those the same boys that Douglas warned us about?" Weakly, I nod my head. "I thought we told you to stay away from those hoodlums, Eileen! They're going to get you into a lot of trouble, and you're lucky that it was Frank that caught you instead." Dad stops abruptly. He looks towards Mom, desperate for her help. With a loud, exasperated sigh, he directs his attention back towards me. "Go to bed, Eileen. We'll talk about this tomorrow morning."

He shakes his head angrily, lazily heading towards the couch. With Mom following behind him, the two fall onto the couch.

When their attention focused on each other and my "bad" behavior, I scurry off down the hall, hoping to reach my room before my parents decide to call me back.

XxXxXxX

"You better thank your lucky stars, young lady," Mom announces. Ignoring her comment, I head straight for the table. "Uncle Mark called your father, and now Dad's going to be gone all weekend. Your punishment is going to be pushed off until he gets back, so you better enjoy your last days of freedom."

Mom was born in Idabel, Oklahoma; she spent most of her life there, but when she was 12, her parents got a divorce, and her mother moved her, along with her two older brothers and older sister, to Tulsa. Shortly after I was born, Uncle Mark decided to move back to Idabel, and he's been there ever since.

"Oh." I answer, trying to contain my excitement. With the route that Dad usually takes, it takes nearly four hours to reach Uncle Mark's house. Knowing Uncle Mark, whatever project he has planned for Dad will take all weekend.

I'm a free woman until Monday, at least.

Mom heads to her mother's house around noon to help set up a retirement party my grandmother is throwing for one of her coworkers (Grandma works at the local clothing shop where they make clothes for the less fortunate). As for Imogene and Douglas, they leave shortly after Mom, and by 12:45, I'm left alone.

Although neither of my parents are home, I decide to work on my homework. Halfway through my math, I realize this might've helped me get back on their good side if I waited until Mom got home, but at the moment, I don't care. I'm bored beyond belief, and there's nothing else for me to do.

Around 2:00, I'm granted with company. After nearly having a heart attack, I hop up from my chair in the kitchen and gleefully run for the door – eager to be entertained by another individual.

Once I see who's on the other side, my mood heads south.

Jacquelyn sighs sadly, knowing exactly what I'm thinking. "Please, Eileen, before you slam the door in my face, can we talk?" Silently, I step out of the entrance, allowing her inside. Jacquelyn enters our house awkwardly, and in all honesty, it pains me to see how badly our friendship is being affected since I've decided to hang out with Sodapop and his friends.

"Do you want to go to my room?" I ask quietly. Jacquelyn shrugs her shoulders and turns towards me sluggishly. "I mean, no one is home, but I'd rather talk in there than out here in the open."

"That's fine with me then."

Jacquelyn takes a seat on my bed, and once my bedroom door is shut behind us, it almost feels like old times. The awkwardness definitely isn't consuming us anymore. "So, what do you want to talk about?" I ask, taking a seat at my desk. Jacquelyn sighs again, looking towards my comforter. She looks pained, and instantly, I realize how terrible of a friend I've been to her recently.

It breaks my heart.

"I want to apologize for how I acted towards you and your new friends yesterday," she frowns, weakly meeting my eyes. "I explained everything to my sister, and she made me realize that I was being a jerk to you. Then, I was thinking about everything you said about them, and you were right. Eileen, I'm really, really sorry for being so rude towards your friends. I'm sorry about everything you said."

"It's all right, Jackie," I answer, expressing a small smile. "Besides, you were right. They did get me in trouble already." Her appearance softens while her eyes widen in surprise. "Sodapop wanted me to sneak out last night, so I did, and he, along with Steve, went around the East side, stealing hubcaps off the cars. Mr Rivera ended up pulling us over, and even though he let those two off with a warning, he brought me home. I'm still waiting for my punishment."

"I don't think the consequences will be too bad," she shares. "Your parents are lenient, and we both know they're not one for grounding the three of you." I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know about this time, Jacquelyn. Last week, my dad caught me skipping my afternoon classes, and he wasn't happy about that. Well then, Douglas and Imogene told them about how each of the greasers are, and my parents told me they don't want me to hang around them anymore, so I'm probably going to get into more trouble than if I snuck out to hang with you and Ellen."

"Did you hear that Ellen's moving?" Jackie inquires suddenly. My eyes enlarge as soon as she blurts it out. She nods in confirmation. "She told us a couple days ago. Her dad's job is transferring them to New York. They're leaving this weekend."

My face drops.

Jacquelyn and I have been best friends with Ellen ever since she transferred to public schooling in the sixth grade. Considering she was homeschooled all her life before, she had no friends, and no one made an effort to welcome her to the school. On the first day of school, we sat with her at lunch, and all three of us became best friends instantly.

"Hey, do you want to spend the night or something?"

XxXxXxX

After swinging by Jackie's house and grabbing her clothes, we decide to head off to the drive-in's weekly nightly double.

Considering we don't have a car, the two of us take a seat a couple rows back, sitting in the middle of the stands. Jacquelyn sets her overnight bag down beside her feet before looking around nervously. "What's the matter, Jackie?" I ask, watching her squirm uncomfortably in her seat. Her eyes meet mine before darting off to my right - silently telling me to look. "Oh."

"Do you know those boys?"

"No, I don't know them, but they don't look the nicest. I wouldn't worry about them, Jacquelyn. I highly doubt they're going to bother a group of middle class girls."

Jacquelyn tries to relax, and together, we attempt to enjoy the movie, but behind us, those greasers start making dirty comments about every girl in sight. It actually makes me sick when I overhear them talking about Jackie and I sexually.

XxXxXxX

Mom is surprised to see Jacquelyn at our house, but like usual, she welcomes her with open arms, and to be completely honest, I'm surprised I don't get in trouble for having company over considering the stunt from earlier this morning.

Sunday passes quickly, and before I know it, it's time for another week of school. Normally, I wouldn't mind, but now that I know I'm going to get in trouble makes me dread anything this day has to offer - no matter if it's good or bad.

I take my usual seat in algebra - near the window, towards the front - and much to my surprise, Steve Randle comes leisurely walking my way, looking as though he doesn't have a care in the world. "Hey," he greets plainly, dropping his book onto the table, creating a thud and earning him some nasty looks from other kids trying to work on other homework.

"What are you doing over here?" I ask curiously, genuinely shocked that, out of all the kids in the class, he's sitting by me. Steve shrugs his shoulders silently.

"I dunno," he finally answers. "I guess cause Daniel ain't here, and you're the only other kid in the class that I know. Is that gonna be a problem?" I shake my head, setting my pencil down. Steve flashes his trademark smirk, making me fear what the next thing he says is going to be about. "So, how'd your old man take to the fuzz bringin' ya home the other night." I roll my eyes, growing annoyed that he'd ask such a thing.

"Because of you two, I'm going to be grounded for the rest of my life. Both of my parents were beyond furious." I explain. "So, thanks a lot to you, Steve Randle." He continues staring at me with amusement evident all over his face.

"If you can't hang with us greasers, Princess, don't you think you should head back to your other friends?" I roll my eyes, ultimately letting him win. It's too early in the morning to be arguing with him.

XxXxXxX

It happens again in chemistry. Instead of sitting at his usual lab table, Steve strolls over to me, taking the empty seat. "Are you back to pick an argument with me? If you are, you might as well leave, I'm not in the mood to argue with you." He rolls his eyes, taking a seat beside me anyway.

"No, I ain't doin' too well in this class, and I was figurin' you'd help me since you seem to be real good friends with Soda." Steve answers, pulling his things out of his backpack.

"Oh, so, now you're using me?"

"No, I ain't!" Steve defends, huffing angrily. He looks annoyed - like usual. "Soda always tells the gang he thinks we should give you a chance, so here I am, tryna give you a damn chance, but you ain't workin' with me too well." He drops his battered up notebook on the table before turning to retrieve his lone pencil from inside his worn out backpack.

I turn towards the board, curiously watching our teacher write down today's warm-up. Once he's finished, he turns and with a self-satisfied smile on his face, our work is explained to us. "I want you to solve these problems. I'll give you ten extra minutes today, so use this time wisely." Mr Daley steps away from the front and heads silently for his desk.

Beside me, Steve mutters a couple swears and stares hard at the board, trying to figure out the foreign language written in chalk. "What the hell does this even say?" He asks cluelessly.

"How are you even in this class?"

"Shut up," he groans, rolling his eyes again. "Now, are you gonna help me or not?" I sigh loudly in defeat. Steve watches me, and once he realizes he's going to receive my help, he begins to smirk victoriously.

And I've never felt the urge to punch someone in the face until now.

XxXxXxX

It doesn't surprise me, really, that both of my parents are waiting for me as soon as I step through the door. Dad stands up from his seat on the couch, gesturing towards the empty seat with his right hand. "Welcome home, honey. Would you please come take a seat?" I drop my bag onto the ground, creating a loud thud, before dragging myself to the couch and my mother's side. My parents appear to be surprised that I don't fight them right then and there.

"Can we get this over with? I have a lot of homework to complete." I explain, bored and ready to receive my punishment for being nice to the less fortunate.

"Well, you paid no heed to us when we instructed you to stay away from those greasers, Eileen. You know how serious we were, and your mother and I think  
you should get a week for that. As for sneaking out and being brought back home by the police, we think that adds an additional week and a half. Honey, you're grounded for two and a half weeks. You are to only roam to and from school for that time, and you aren't allowed to go anywhere else. Do I make myself clear?" I nod my head weakly. My punishment slowly sinks in, and I find myself wanting to cry. I've never known my parents to be this tough with scolding us, and frankly I don't like it. "Eileen, you're excused." I pull my numb body up from the couch before dragging myself down the hall.

My life is officially over for the next two and a half weeks.

* * *

So, how do you feel about the Eileen / Steve interaction? Please don't be shy. Leave me a review! I love hearing what you guys think, and it gives me motivation to write. :)


	5. Follow My Heart

**Sixteen**  
_Chapter Five_

**Author's Note:** If any of you are familiar with my updating schedule, then you should recall that I normally post updates around 4:00 (on weekdays). Well, I think I'm going to bump my updates back an hour. Instead of 4:00, new chapters will come within 5:00 & 5:30 (more so closer to the hour). That way, I'll have more writing time between the ending of school and then, I won't feel as rushed. :)

Oooh, I hope you're all ready. This is a pretty big chapter! I'm excited to share it with all of you, and I hope you like it as much as I do. :)

Please, as soon as you finish reading, leave me some feedback. I love to hear from all of you, and after discovering the contents of this chapter, feedback will really help me get a general idea of what everyone thinks. Plus, I really appreciate when you guys get in touch, letting me know how I did.

* * *

It's nearing the beginning of November, and the burden of my punishment is finally lifted from my shoulders. I'm a free woman – free to do whatever I please.

Over the last two weeks, I would be lying if I said my relationship with Steve hasn't been strengthening to something more than acquaintances. He's taken the liberty of sitting next to me everyday in algebra and chemistry, effectively making me feel obligated to help him with his academics.

Plus, he wouldn't be able to stare at me so fluently from a distance.

I'll be honest, I've caught him watching me a couple times, and sometimes, I'll spot him staring from the corner of my eye. Then, I'll look towards him, and he'll quickly look away. Although his staring can very well be harmless and unintentional, I can't help but wonder what his girl, Evie, would say about his wandering eyes.

XxXxXxX

Like usual, Steve takes a seat next to me in chemistry. His book falls to the metal lab table loudly, earning a few glares from the nerdy students – all of which fall blindly onto Steve. "I heard you n Sandy n Evie are gettin' together this weekend." He comments, taking a seat on the bar stool.

Over the course of my punishment, not only did I establish a better friendship with Steve, Sandy and I are quickly becoming close friends. We've talked to each other on the phone numerous times (one of the few privileges my parents didn't revoke), and a few days ago, she actually asked if I wanted to spend the night at her place.

Considering what happened last time I slipped away from my house unannounced, I asked my parents for their permission. Both of them remembered Sandy vividly, remembering the description Imogene left them with, and they saw no problem in allowing me to stay the night at her house – but on one condition. Mom, instigated by Dad, made me solemnly swear that I wouldn't be anywhere near Soda or Steve. I agreed, with my fingers crossed behind my back, and as soon as they saw my "sincerity", they eased up more with their decision – appearing more comfortable that I was hanging out with someone who isn't a JD.

And there was no way I was letting them know that Evie was also making an appearance at this shin dig.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" I ask while scribbling down the remaining touches to last night's homework, finally answering his question. Steve merely shrugs.

"I dunno," he answers. "I guess it's surprisin' and all that your parents are lettin' you hang out with 'em girls. I thought they said you weren't allowed to hang with us?"

"They did. Thanks to my older sister, but with the description that was provided for Sandy, my parents saw no problem with me going to her house."

"What 'bout Evie? There ain't no way in hell that your parents are okay with you bein' with Evie." Steve continues, pulling his notebook out from the depths of his backpack. His pencil falls silently onto the faded blue cover. Against my will, I start to grin maliciously.

"That's why I didn't tell them that Evie is going to be there," Steve starts to smirk. "If they knew she was going to be partaking in this get together, you're right. There's no way my parents would've been okay with any of this."

"Well, I'll be damned. I didn't think a smart, goody two shoes girl like you could be so sneaky and secretive." I shrug my shoulders in response to his statement.

"What can I say? There's a lot more to me than you know, Steve Randle." He laughs sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I'll say."

XxXxXxX

"What time do you have to go home, Darling?" Grandma asks, sifting through a slightly wet cardboard box. "Do I have to take you home as well?" Silently, I take a seat on top of her dryer, watching her go through her belongings.

Right as soon as I woke up today, Mom and Dad decided to ship me off to Grandma's. Neither of them were very clear as to why I was coming to her house, I think it's to help her tidy up, but even Grandma is being vague with why I'm here. Whenever I ask her a question, she never clearly answers it, and she immediately starts a new conversation before I can prod for more information. That's not unusual for her, though, Grandma has always been this way. But while I was confused and oblivious with their decision, Imogene was downright annoyed. As soon as she found out what was going down, she wasn't too keen with the idea of bringing me over to Grandma's house.

She even got into a little argument with my parents.

To say it was amusing would be an understatement.

"I think Imogene is going to pick me up around 5:00," I answer slowly, mesmerized by the antiques Grandma is pulling from within the box. "I'm not too sure. I'll have to call my mother later." With her hands pressing firmly into her lower back, Grandma stands up. When she turns around to face me, her face drops in disapproval.

"Honey, get down from that dryer," she scolds. "That thing is so old, who know what'll happen, and I don't want you to somehow get hurt." I nod my head, hopping off from the top. "Thank you, Dear."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"All right, Honey. Are you ready to start working on this mess of a house?" Grandma starts heading towards her bedroom. With another quick nod, I follow behind her.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Douglas picks me around 5:30 – half an hour later than when I was suppose to be picked up. His girlfriend, Elaine, resides in the front seat, leaving me with the joys of the riding solo in the backseat. "Where does your friend live?" Doug asks, driving towards the East side. I ramble off her address nervously, silently fearing that it might be wrong. "I can't believe they're letting you stay with Sandy tonight after what happened a few weeks ago." Douglas grumbles, locating her house.

Pulling hard on the handle, the door swings open. As I step out onto the Griffin's nicely manicured lawn, I can hear Elaine prying for information on a topic that doesn't even concern her.

In my opinion, Elaine is like The Beatles – a little bit goes a long way. And I'll leave my thought at that.

XxXxXxX

Evie picks silently at her fingernails, acting completely oblivious to Sandy and me and her surroundings in general. Sandy stops abruptly in the middle of her sentencing, frowning slightly; she redirects her attention towards Evie. "You okay, Evie? You're awful quiet over there," Evie sighs sadly, shrugging her shoulders in response. "C'mon. Talk to us. We ain't gonna tell anyone, and you can trust us." Evie looks at me, searching for a guarantee that what she discloses won't be repeated. Quickly, I nod. Evie sighs again – this one proves to be more dramatic than the last.

"I ain't too sure what to do with Steve." She admits quietly, looking helplessly at her hands. She bites her bottom lip nervously, silently wondering how to continue. Sandy stares in confusion.

"I don't understand what you mean, Eve."

"I don't know, Sandy. I don't know what to do," she groans loudly, irritated with herself. "I love Steve. I mean, I always will, but I don't feel like this relationship is worth anything anymore. I don't feel like either of us are into it like we were when we first started dating, and I dunno. I don't feel like he's satisfyin' my needs and stuff." She stops, weakly looking up to meet Sandy's eyes. "Brian Antisdale asked me out for tomorrow night, and I told him yes. I feel terrible doin' this to Steve, and I think I'm gonna to break up with him soon. I think we're both itchin' to get out there and start seein' new people. I mean, I find myself lookin' at other guys, and it's sure as hell obvious that Steve has taken an interest in her." Evie sighs exasperated, throwing her hand out towards me. Sandy sits silently; I avert my eyes downward, focusing hard on a crack in the hardwood flooring.

I feel guilty. I feel as though I'm a factor to their dwindling relationship, but it's not like I asked Steve to take an interest in me. That was all of his doing – leaving me with no reason to feel bad.

I repeat this thought to myself several times, but it fails to decrease the guilt my body seems to be submerged in. I dwell on this idea; slowly, I'm drowning in guilt. I'm succumbing to the feeling.

Evie sighs again, bringing me back to my reality. She stares blankly at me, but deep within her eyes, I can see pain. Evie looks pained. "Don't feel bad," she comments, picking up on my emotions. "It's ain't your fault, Eileen. Trust me. I've been dealin' with this long before you came along." I swallow hard, searching hard for the strength I need to address the topic at hand.

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhmm," Evie hums, forcing a smile. "We've run our course, and I think it's time Steve and I came to an end." Sandy frowns, staring blankly at her floor.

"I could never imagine leaving Soda."

XxXxXxX

"I'm bored, Sandy," Evie whines, hanging upside down of the bed. Sandy grins sweetly, ignoring Evie as she continues to paint her nails. "Can we go somewhere? I'm hungry too. Let's go to The Dingo." My eyes widen nervously upon hearing her suggestion.

"Wait," I comment. "Did a girl get stabbed there once?"

"She didn't get stabbed. She was shot," Sandy answers, failing to meet my eyes. "But that was a couple years ago, and it hardly did any damage."

"Sandy, what the hell are you talkin' 'bout?" Evie inquires, sitting up. With her long, sandy brown locks a mess, she twists around to face Sandy and me. "It barely missed her heart. She had to get a lot of blood replaced, and she nearly died." Sandy's face drops, and it looks as though she's seen a ghost.

"Dallas said that she didn't get badly injured!" Evie snorts, closing her eyes and shaking her head slowly.

"Ain't you realized that Dallas is a lyin' sack of shit half the time?"

Evie and Sandy lead the way towards The Dingo with me following behind them like a lost puppy. "I've never gone to The Dingo," I comment, straining to past their heads – the struggles of being short. "We're not going to get hurt, are we?" Evie shakes her head confidently.

"As long as you mind your own business and don't mess with no one you don't know, you'll be fine."

XxXxXxX

Lying silently on Sandy's bedroom floor, staring at the ceiling, I think back to what happened at The Dingo. Sodapop and Steve showed up, and while Soda and Sandy looked comfortable together, Steve and Evie looked stiff and awkward – thinking back on it, I wonder how I was oblivious to it to begin with.

"Eileen, are you still awake?" Evie whispers, loud enough to be heard over Sandy's snoring. I answer with nothing more than a hum, and for a second, I wonder if she actually heard me. "Sandy was right. You ain't too bad, Eileen. You ain't too bad. Do you think you'd be willin' to give me another chance to be friends and all?" Staring at her ceiling, I can't help but smile. I never thought I'd see the day where Evie Kline was asking to be my friend.

"Yeah, Evie. I'd like that a lot."

XxXxXxX

On Tuesday, Steve misses out on algebra. I dismiss it, assuming he's going to show up halfway through the class like he's known to do.

But when he fails to attend chemistry, I know he's gone for the day.

Although I won't admit it to his face, I'm upset. Without him, I have no one to talk to, and he never fails to entertain me. I find it amusing how he can never grasp the concepts of chemistry, and his negative comments directed towards the class, Mr Daley and the assignments are funnier than they shoulder be.

It makes me pretty eager for tomorrow – when I can see him again.

With a dull thud, my pencil hits my chemistry table, shattering the silence surrounding my hardworking classmates. My eyes widen drastically as the realization sinks in. My heart starts to race as I come to terms with my new discovery. Never in a million years did I imagine this would happen.

I've got a crush on Steve Randle.

* * *

I understand that I seem more needy for reviews. But this chapter contained a couple major plot points that'll play along with the rest of the story, and I would like to know how I did. :)

Please, if you're reading this note, take a couple seconds out of your day to let me know how this chapter was. It'll really help me get an idea as to what everyone thinks, and I will REALLY appreciate it. So, please, review.

For the sake of this story, please review. Do it for Johnny. ;)

**PS -** I should make it clear that I don't hate The Beatles. They're very talented, and I'll admit that they have some good songs. The implied negative reference was merely for the sake of the story.


	6. Beat of My Heart

**Sixteen**  
_Chapter Six_

**Author's Note:** Hello, Everyone! I hope you're having (or had) a fabulous Friday! I hope you're ready for another installment of this story. I'm excited to share this chapter with you because some pretty exciting stuff happens. :)

When you get done, I would really appreciate if you all review / follow / favorite. It would mean a lot!

* * *

Steve reclaims his seat beside me in chemistry, and like usual, he looks as though he despises the world; the only difference is that today, he looks ten times angrier. "What's crawled up your butt and died?" I tease, beginning my warm up. Steve groans loudly and rolls his eyes. Without even knowing it, he confirms my assumption.

Evie broke up with him.

"Nothin' I can't handle," he grumbles. "Evie broke up with me on Monday. She says she ain't feelin' nothin' between us no more."

"Well," I sigh awkwardly, desperately searching for the right thing to say. "All great things come to an end, but don't worry. Someday, you'll find the one that's right for you." I praise myself, proud that I came up with such a response on the spot.

Steve doesn't appreciate my answer as much though.

In response, he rolls his eyes, muttering something incoherent under his breath. "That ain't the problem," Steve answers. "The problem is she wanted me to take her to that dance this Friday, so I bought a ticket. Well, now what the hell am I suppose to do with it? That stupid thing was five dollars." A few swear words slip. "You goin'?" I shrug my shoulders, shaking my head slowly.

"No, dances aren't really my thing."

"Well, if I asked ya to go with me, would you?" Steve inquires, looking towards me. "I ain't itchin' to go and be by my lonesome all night." My heart skips a beat. So badly, I want to agree right there and there's only one thing stopping me.

Evie.

Sure, the two of them broke up, but she said it herself. She'll always love Steve. Knowing that, I'm left oblivious to how she'll react if she catches us together on Friday. We're finally friends, and I'm not too eager to ruin our friendship.

"I'm not too sure, Steve." I answer nervously, mentally throwing myself into the sun. Deep down, I pray that he'll beg me, but he's not the type.

"C'mon, what else do you have to do on a Friday night?"

"Well," I sigh, knowing he's right. "I don't really have anything planned for Friday night."

"That's what I thought," Steve smirks. "So, will you go to the dance with me?" Emitting a sigh full of mixed emotions, I nod my head. Steve relaxes, almost as though he's relieved.

On the inside, I pray – pray that Evie won't hate me after this stunt.

XxXxXxX

Grabbing a tight hold on Sandy's arm, I rush her off to the bathroom, calling over my shoulder to Steve, Soda and the rest of the group that we'll be back soon. Unintentionally, I catch a glimpse of Evie, and I start to feel even worse for agreeing to go the dance with Steve.

She sandwiched in between Two-Bit and Sylvia, and instead of participating in their conversation, she's pushing her food around blankly with a fork – almost as if her mental state in somewhere else.

With a dejected sigh, I turn back around, continuing my journey to the bathroom.

"What do you need, Eileen?" Sandy asks, stepping into the restroom, ignoring the glares from the rich girls. One of the girls blow past me, pushing me out of the way, with her cronies following close behind.

"Sandy, I feel bad," I answer truthful. "I mean, you've seen Evie today at lunch? She looks so upset." Sandy frowns slightly, knowing what I'm getting at.

"You don't have to feel bad. She broke up with Steve. It wasn't the other way around. To be honest, I ain't sure what her problem is. She probably got inta another fight with her older sister."

"It's not only that," I sigh. "This morning in chemistry, Steve asked me to go to the dance with him, and I don't know, Sandy. I said yes, but now I'm afraid Evie is going to hate me. I don't know what to do." Sandy starts to grin.

"You're goin' to the dance with Steve," she repeats cheekily. "I never thought I'd see you goin' on a date with a greaser. Let alone, Steve Randle." I cross my arm over my chest, rolling my eyes at her childish behavior.

"That's not the point."

"I don't know why you're so afraid. Evie ain't gonna care. She broke up with him." I emit a heavy breath, indicating my increasing frustration.

"But at your house she told us that she's always going to love him." I reason. Sandy goes straight faced.

"So?"

"So? Sandy! What if she sees us together? What if she realizes she wants to be with Steve again, but I'll be there, preventing that. What if she decides she doesn't like me?" Sandy rolls her eyes at my antics.

"I still think you're overreactin'. Eileen, don't you 'member what she said? She's been havin' these thoughts long before you joined our group. She ain't gonna care." I bite my bottom lip, thinking hard about her reasoning.

"I guess you're right." I mutter, ultimately admitting my defeat. Once again, Sandy starts to smile.

"Good!" She squeals happily, reaching for my hand. "You should come over Friday after school, and we can get ready for the dance together, and then Steve and Soda can pick us up from my house. Are you in?" Her smile grows, consuming her whole face. I nod my head, a grin of my own emerging.

"Yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun."

XxXxXxX

Surprisingly, Friday comes fast, and after school, Sandy and I begin our walk to my house, to grab my things for the dance and to spend the night.

Jacquelyn walks with us, and thankfully, her and Sandy hit it off fast. "So, are you going to the dance tonight, Jackie?" I ask curiously, watching the sidewalk for any raised pieces of concrete. Beside me, she shrugs her shoulders.

"I haven't decided yet," she shares. "I don't have anyone to go with, and I'll probably be by myself." Sandy's ears perk up at the idea of being able to play matchmaker.

"Don't worry, Jacquelyn..."

"Sandy!" I laugh, shaking my head. "Leave my friend alone!" She rolls her eyes playfully right as we reach Jackie's house. She shares a quick goodbye before hurrying to the door.

"Are your folks gonna be home?"

"I'm not too sure actually. My mom will be home because it's her day off, but I don't know about my dad." I explain.

"Are you nervous?"

"About what?"

"You know. Your parents. Your mom. She's goin' to be meeting me. Ain't they not fond of you hanging with us?"

"They like you. They're not too fond of Steve, Soda, Evie, Dallas, Sylvia and Two-Bit. My older brother and sister enlightened my parents of their typical behaviors and personalities."

"So, they have no idea that you're goin' to the dance with Steve?" I shake my head. "Ooh, so, you're decidin' to be sneaky again? Even though y'all got caught by the fuzz last time?" I nod my head, smiling as the night comes to the front of my mind.

"You better not tell my mom about Steve either!" Sandy raises her hands defensively, failing to hold back an evil, teasing smirk. "I'm serious, Sandy!" I laugh, leading her up the walkway to my house.

"Your secret is safe with me, Eileen. But if your mom asks, I'm gonna have to be truthful." She jokes. I push open the door, stepping into the house.

"Mom, I'm home!"

"I'm in the kitchen!" Mom calls. Sandy follows behind me like a lost puppy as I navigate our way to my mom.

Inside, she's putting dishes away, and once the tile squeaks underneath our shoes, she turns around. Once Mom sees Sandy, she starts to smile. "You must be Sandy."

"Yes, Ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." Sandy laces her fingers together, smiling sweetly at my mother.

"I'm going to go grab my things." I whisper, slipping behind Sandy and heading for my room.

Thankfully I packed last night.

XxXxXxX

"Sandy, do I look okay?" I turn around slowly in front of her mirror, desperately trying to look my very best.

Without her knowing, I stole one of Imogene's dresses from when she was going through her rebellious phase.

Its sleeves, made of lace, stop at my elbows while the top looks like a regular, white tank top, decorated with lace - much similar to the sleeves. Meanwhile, a black belt separate the navy blue, knee length shirt from the white lace.

Although the skirt is shorter than my parents' liking, it's a really cute dress.

Sandy looks up from painting her nail, and with a satisfied smile, she nods approvingly. "You look great. Are you going to paint your nails?"

"Do you have white?"

"Do the soc ruin our lives?"

"Where's it at?"

"Right here," She tosses me the bottle before touching up her nails. I take a seat on her floor and begin. "Hey, want me to do your makeup?" I nod my head, silently praying I don't completely mess this up.

Fifteen minutes later, Sandy finishes putting makeup on me. I'm granted with a couple seconds to look at myself before her older sister calls, announcing that our dates have arrived.

Sandy sequels, tossing her makeup bag onto her bed. With me following behind her, she hurries out of her room. I move at a slower pace, hoping I don't kill myself in the heels.

Something else I stole from Imogene.

Soda and Steve wait patiently for us at the door. Steve stands silently, hands shoved into the pockets of his dress pants. Soda eagerly waits for his date, and when his eyes land on her, his jaw drops. "Oh, wow. Sandy, you look absolutely beautiful." He shares breathlessly. She starts to blush, mumbling stuff to him under her breath.

He extends his arm; Sandy takes his arm in her hands before following him to Steve's truck. Soon, Steve and I are left alone.

"Hey." I greet happily.

"Hey, you ready to go?" He asks, like Soda, he holds out his arm. I link mine together with him, allowing him to lead me to his truck.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad - sad that he didn't compliment me like Soda did with Sandy.

Sandy and I squeeze in between both boys. It's uncomfortable, but I don't think she minds too much; it gives her an excuse to press against Soda, and honestly, I don't think he minds too much either.

As for Steve and me, I'm not too sure how I, and he, feel about this.

Our ride lasts a whole 10 minutes, plus another five to find a parking place. And as soon as Steve shuts the truck off, Sand and Soda are gone - leaving both of us alone. "Did you ever get a ticket?" I shake my head.

"No, but I planned on buying one at the door."

"Aight," he answers, opening the door. "We should prolly get goin' though. You ready?" Steve steps out of his truck, oblivious to my head nod.

"Can you dance?"

"Nope," he shares, turning around. Steve reaches for my hands, helping me out of his truck. "Can you?"

"Well, not exactly." I sigh, carefully stepping to the ground. Steve continue holding my right hand, after dropping my left one, we head towards the school.

Before I can protest, Steve has his wallet out, handing the lady my ticket fee. Once we're through, I hit him lightly. "Why'd you pay for my ticket? I had enough money." Steve starts to smirk.

"I felt like bein' nice today."

XxXxXxX

We stand in a corner, against a wall, for a reason unknown to me, but honestly, it doesn't bother me. I didn't even want to come to this stupid dance. "So, you two just gonna stand here all night, and be lame?" I look towards the source of the voice; it's only Soda and Sandy.

"Come on, you two have to dance for least a coupla songs." Sandy smiles. Soda nods in agreement. In response, Steve shakes his head.

"Make him dance with ya, Eileen," Soda advises. "Don't let him stand like a bump on a log in the corner."

"Will do, Sodapop,"" He grabs Sandy's hand and whisks her away to another section of the gym. "C'mon, Steve. Let's go dance. You're wasting your money otherwise." I grab onto his hand, and to my surprise, Steve follows me with ease.

"I already told ya that I can't dance," he warns. "I hope you don't mind me makin' a fool out of ya."

"I'm already going to make a fool out of myself without your help, so I guess we don't have anything to lose."

Steve twirls me around in the middle of one of the few slow songs. "You look nice tonight, Eileen," Steve smirks, breaking my spin. He pulls me closer, sealing the space between us.

My heart picks up speed; before long, it's pounding hard against my chest. I can feel the thin sheet of sweat forming underneath my hands, and I can hardly comprehend that I'm this close to him. No longer am I able to hold back the smile fighting to break through.

"You clean up nicely too, Steve Randle."

Right as the song ends, he drops his hands and steps back. "Stay right here, I have to go take a leak." I cross my arms over my chest, rolling my eyes at his word choice. Steve chuckles, punching my shoulder lightly before hurrying off.

Evie takes note of my loneliness because seconds after Steve's departure, she's at my side.

My eyes widen; my mouth drops; I don't doubt that I look like I've seen a ghost. Evie smiles, laughing quietly and shaking her head. "You can relax, Eileen," she grins. "I'm not mad that you're at the dance with Steve. Remember? I broke up with him. Besides, I had a gut feelin' that he was gonna ask you to go with him."

"I'm glad," I smile, laughing unevenly. "I don't know if Sandy told you or not, but when he asked me, I was really afraid of how you'd react." Evie nods.

"Yeah, she told me."

"So, who's the lucky lad that had the opportunity to bring you to this dance?" I inquire, nudging her side. Evie chuckles, staring at the floor.

"You remember how I was tellin' you n Sandy 'bout Brian Antisdale takin' me out on a date last weekend, right?" I nod slowly. "Our date went so well that he asked me that evenin' to come to the dance with him. I couldn't say no, Eileen. He's such a sweet kid. It's a real shame he comes from such a broken home."

"It breaks my heart to hear some of their stories."

"You get use to it," she shares. Evie looks towards me with a smirk all too similar to Steve's. "You n Steve are real cute together, you know that?" I feel my cheeks heat up, and thankfully the gymnasium is dark, hiding my multi-shaded face from Evie. "I'm serious, Eileen. You two are real cute, and he sure look damn happy with you. You can see it in his eyes. I think he's fallin' hard for ya."

"Evie, you can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious."

"Quit lying."

"I ain't lyin'."

Before I have another chance to speak, someone approaches my side, wrapping their arm around my waist. Evie's mood turns sour instantly, and once I see the nasty glare Steve's sending off, I don't blame her. I nudge him, silently telling him to straighten up.

He doesn't listen. Evie rolls her eyes and turns, no doubt heading back to her date.

"She wasn't causin' you no trouble, was she?" He asks sternly, keeping his attention fixed on her back.

"No, Steve. She wasn't causing me any trouble."

* * *

So, thoughts? I hope you're all right with me including him asking her to the dance & the dance in the same chapter. I couldn't think of anything to push the dance off until the next chapter!

If you would take a minute out of your day to review, I would really appreciate it. I love hearing what you guys say, and like I said last chapter, some big stuff happened, so it'd be nice to know how you all think I did. :)


	7. Livin' on a Prayer

**Sixteen Candles**  
_Chapter Seven_

**Author's Note:** So, in case you're wondering, I did, indeed, change the title of this story. I wasn't digging the other title, and at the moment, I like this one a little more. This probably won't be temporary, and if I happen to change the title again, I'll definitely let you all know. Most likely, I won't, but honestly, who knows.

I'm fully aware that I told you guys that I would update around 5:00, but something came up, so I hope you don't mind me updating now. As for the week between chapters, I hope you don't mind that too. Instead of updating every other day, I'm thinking about making my updates weekly. It'll buy me a few more days to complete chapters.

Well, here's chapter seven. Although the other members of the gang have failed to make an appearance in this story yet, you finally get a little Ponyboy action. I hope you guys are excited! :) When you finish reading, a review / follow / favorite would be highly appreciated - it tells me you're enjoy my story!

* * *

Our dance draws to a close, and with the way Soda and Sandy are hanging onto each other, it's clear to me they don't want to separate from each other.

And if I'm being honest with myself, I'm wouldn't mind more time with Steve.

"Hey!" Soda exclaims, slowing to a stop. With his arm still around Sandy, he turns around to face Steve and me. "I think I know where we can go." Sodapop starts to grin. Steve cocks an eyebrow, and to say I'm not even a little curious would be a lie.

"Where?" Sandy asks eagerly, looking up happily at her boyfriend.

"Steve, we should take our ladies to our old tree house."

"Glory, Soda, we ain't been there since 5th grade. It'll be amazin' if we can still find the old thing," Soda raises an eyebrow, waiting for Steve's answer. "Let's go." Steve grins. Sodapop smiles in approval, and together, we head for the truck.

"You're gonna love our tree house, Sandy," Soda shares. "You too, Eileen. My dad built it when we were in like second grade, and we always you to go play with our plastic soldiers there. You 'member that, Steve? We use to keep 'em in that wooden box Darry made for us in his woodshop class."

"Yeah, we wasted so much money on 'em things."

Our truck ride draws to a close fifteen minutes later. I stare at the dark woods, fearful for what lurks inside. Soda and Steve start to climb out; Sandy follows close behind Soda, and once they're both out, they start heading for the edge of the trees. "You comin'?" Steve asks, staring at me through the open door. I nod my head weakly.

"We're not going to get hurt or anything in there, are we?"

"Nothing is gonna hurt you, but I dunno 'bout your feet. You ain't exactly wearin' woods walkin' 'ppropriate shoes." I sigh, climbing out of his truck anyway. He gingerly takes my hand, guiding me towards the trees. With Sandy and Soda by our side, we head off to find their old tree house.

Sandy and Soda claim a side of the tree house, leaving Steve and me with the other side. I look up; through a hole in the ceiling, you can clearly see the stars twinkling in the navy blue, velvet sky. "Wow." I comment in awe. Steve slings his arm around my shoulders, looking up to see what has captured my attention.

"How come you've never brought me here before, Soda?" Sandy asks, leaning against him. Soda sighs peacefully, directing his attention towards the stars.

"I forgot 'bout it 'til tonight." He shares softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Steve brings me closer, sealing the space between us. Slowly, I allow my head to drop onto his shoulder; when he shows no sign of pushing me away, I relax.

At this moment, my life is nothing but perfect.

XxXxXxX

"So," Steve hesitates. "I ain't too sure 'bout you, but I had a good time." He swallows hard, and it appears to me that he's about to be consumed alive with nerves. It serves as a shock to me. I don't imagine Steve being one to succumb to nerves so easily, and I never thought I would be the reason he's so nervous.

It's almost like a personal victory for me.

"Can I call you?" He looks towards me, waiting for an answer. I nod my head slowly, biting hard on my lip to keep from squealing due to the mass amount of joy I'm experiencing. "There should be a, um, pen in the there. There should be a napkin too, but I ain't too sure." I reach forward, pulling on the handle. The drawer falls open, and like Steve said, there's a pen right on top.

"Here, let me see your hand," Steve presents his hand to me, and as best as I can, I scribble down my phone number. "There you go, Steve Randle." He pulls his hand back, looking over my writing. A slight smile forms on his face as I direct my attention towards the house. "I should probably go though. Sandy's going to be wondering where I am." Soda is slowly walking back to the truck with a dreamy, love struck look in his eyes.

XxXxXxX

"I wanna see you again," Steve announces, staring down at me. I bite my tongue, meeting his eyes. "Outside of school."

"Yeah, me too."

"So, I guess I'll see ya Monday," instantly, my world stops. Steve leans down. My heart picks up speed; the pressure applied to my tongue increases. For a minute, I think he's going to actually kiss me. For a minute, I can't believe it.

Instead, his kisses my cheek.

Either way, I'm on cloud nine.

Inside the house, I shut the door behind me, and almost instantly, Sandy has her arms wrapped around me tightly. "Wasn't tonight amazing, Eileen?" She cries. I nod my head, wrapping my arms around her waist. Both of us start jumping around, giggling and squealing over tonight.

In the front room, her older sister and younger brother are staring at us weirdly.

I don't blame them. We probably resemble preteens in junior high.

Sandy pulls away from me abruptly. She grabs on tightly to my hand before dragging me to her room; I nearly kill myself heading up the stairs.

Once we're secure inside her room, Sandy slams the door shut. Despite the fact that she's wearing a skirt, she launches herself stomach-down onto her bed. "Are you two an item now?" Sandy asks happily, referring to Steve and me. I roll my eyes, shaking my head slowly. "Aw! Why not?"

"Sandy!" I laugh. "This was the first date we've been on, and honestly, it wasn't even a date. But guess what." I fail to hold back a smile. "He asked for my number, and he wants to take me out again." Her blue eyes widen.

"Eileen! I can't believe this! You two are perfect for each other. You need to see each other again soon! You guys need to start dating immediately! You're so cute together." Sandy rolls onto her back, staring at the ceiling.

"That's what Evie said too."

"What?"

"I didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Well, I don't know where to begin." I sigh, running a hand through my hair. Sandy rolls onto her side, waiting for me to proceed.

"Was the whole thing awkward?"

"No, not really," I shrug. "Steve wandered off, and once he was gone, Evie came over to me. I thought she was going to be mad at me, but she wasn't. She was actually accepting of it, and I can't believe how friendly she was considering I was there with her ex. She even told me that Steve and I were cute together." Sandy starts to smile.

"Well, that's not too bad."

"Then, Steve came back," Sandy frowns, leading me to believe she knows what's to come next. "I don't know what happened, but they were bitter towards each other. Steve was giving her dirty looks, and Evie was giving him some too. I don't like how bitter they are with each other. A month ago, they were so in love with each other, and now, it's like they can't stand the sight of each other."

"I'm sure you've noticed Evie isn't afraid to give you a taste of your own medicine," Sandy comments. I nod my head slowly. "I can tell you for sure that she doesn't hate Steve, but he's bitter over the break up. It's Steve. It don't take much to make him sour, but he was treatin' her like dirt, so she was doin' it back to him. He'll get over it, Eileen, and I bet everythin' will go back to normal in a couple weeks."

"I sure hope so. I don't like it."

XxXxXxX

After we change into our pajamas, we make ourselves comfortable on her bed and get ready to share our night at the dance. "Soda talked me into sneaking into an open classroom," she explains. "We ended up making-out. I never thought that would happen to me, and I felt rebellious." I snort loudly.

"Yes, Sandy, you better watch yourself, so you don't do something more serious like get changed in a public restroom." She scowls, throwing a pillow at me. I raise my hands, protecting my face, while laughing harder.

"You know what I mean, Eileen!"

"I'm just giving you a hard time!"

"I'd like to know what you and Steve did all night!"

"We stood in a corner, and after you and Soda were teasing us about it, we went and danced for a little bit. After the Evie situation, we went to get something to drink. I watched him nearly get into a fight with a soc. It was a typical high school dance." This time, Sandy snorts.

"That sounds real fun."

"It's not like we've been dating for like ever."

"But still," she comments. "It's a dance, and you had a date. Any other greaser couple would be in a corner, shoving their tongues down each other's throats!" I roll my eyes, disgusted by the mental image.

"In case you forgot, I'm not a greaser." I share, trying to hold back a grin. I throw the pillow back at her, hitting Sandy right in the face. I start laughing; Sandy doesn't look amused. Before long, she starts to grin.

"You suck."

XxXxXxX

"We're playing truth or dare," Sandy declares, falling onto our bed of blankets. "Do you wanna go first, or do you want me to?"

"Sandy, there are only two of us. It's not going to be very fun." She shrugs her shoulders, staring down at me.

"So? That ain't never stopped Evie and me," she shares. "Do you wanna go first or do you want me to?"

"I'll go first. Sandy, truth or dare?" Sandy falls onto her back, thinking hard about what she choice she wants to make.

"Truth."

"Dang it. I was expecting you to say dare," I close my eyes, thinking hard for something to ask her. Within seconds, something comes to mind. I open my eyes, looking right into hers. "Would you ever cheat on Soda?" Sandy's face drops; quickly, she starts shaking her head.

"No!" She cries. "But now it's my turn to ask you. Eileen, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's the biggest lie you've ever told your parents?"

"Once, I got into a fight with a girl, and of course, my brother told on me. Well, I lied and told my parents that he was only saying that to save his butt because he failed some test he had. They believed it, and my brother was grounded for a week," Sandy starts to giggle. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?" Sandy sighs; I start to smirk – this is going to be good.

"Well, if you don't know, I'm originally from Florida. Shortly before seventh grade, my parents decided to move to Tulsa. On the first day of school, it was my time of the month, so long story short, a little item fell onto the floor, and everyone saw. They were laughing at me, and I was so embarrassed." She buries her face in her hands, shaking her head slowly. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

Sandy takes a moment, thinking hard about a dare. Before long, a wicked little grin appears on her face. "I dare you to call Soda's house, ask for Ponyboy and pretend to be in love with him."

"Where's the phone?"

XxXxXxX

Sandy sits close to me, trying desperately to hear the phone. It rings a few times, and I'm starting to think no one will answer. After all, it's almost midnight.

On the fifth ring, someone finally answers.

"Hello, this is the Curtis residence." Sandy starts giggling uncontrollably, resulting in my pushing her away, so she doesn't blow my cover.

"Hello, is Ponyboy there?" I ask, twirling the phone cord around my finger.

"Yes, he is," the deep voice asks. "May I ask who's calling?" My eyes widen, and I look at Sandy, desperate for her help.

"Um, tell him it's his secret admirer," I slap a hand to my forehead, shaking my head slightly. "I can't believe you talked me into doing this, Sandy. What if we get caught?" She waves me off, rolling her eyes.

"We ain't gonna get caught, Eileen. Stop worryin' so much, and have a little fun."

"H-Hello?" Someone asks. My eyes widen again once I realize it's probably Pony. "Who is t-this?" I take a deep breath, trying to relax.

"That's not important," I whisper. Next to me, Sandy starts to laugh really hard while I swear at myself; it, unintentionally, sounds like I'm trying to seduce this kid. "Just know that I think you're grand. I think you're awfully cute, and I wish you would talk to me."

"I-I don't know w-who this is," I bite my lip, successfully finding the humor in this. Although it's pretty cruel, it's also pretty funny how nervous he sounds. If I wasn't starting to enjoy myself, I would feel absolutely terrible. "Who is t-this?"

"Ponyboy, it's not important." I sigh. In the background, I can hear Soda announcing that Pony's cheeks are a bright red. Before I know it, I'm no longer talking to Ponyboy; instead, I'm about to step into a conversation with someone else – someone I wasn't expecting.

"Who is this?" It's someone I don't recognize. "You're makin' my kid brother awful uncomfortable. I think you should probably lay off him." Starting to panic, I pull the phone away from my ear. I end the call before tossing the phone onto the floor.

"Whoa, what happened?" Sandy asks, reaching for the phone.

"Someone else answered," I explain. "He didn't sound too thrilled that we were making his brother uncomfortable. Why didn't you tell me he had another brother?" Sandy merely shrugs.

"I didn't think they'd intervene."

XxXxXxX

"Do you feel better?" I ask, watching Steve take a seat next to me in algebra. He looks confused. "When you asked me for my number, you looked really nervous." He rolls his eyes, giving me the impression that he's going to deny it.

And that's exactly what he does.

"I ain't too sure what you're talkin' 'bout, Doll Face," he shares, using the nickname he knows I hate. "I was calm, cool and collected. Nervous ain't nothing to me." I groan loudly, letting him know I don't buy his story.

"Apparently neither is proper English."

"'Pparently neither is proper English." Steve mocks, rolling his eyes. Annoyed with the fact that he mocked me, I push him away from me.

"Knock it off, Steve."

"I'd like to see you make me, Eileen," He winks with a smirk trailing behind it. I shake my head, burying my face in my hands. "What's wrong, Doll Face?"

"That's disgusting."

XxXxXxX

Steve managed to distract me the whole period, leaving me without a clue as to how to do my homework. Steve wasn't much help either, and our teacher, Mr Mucha, was fully aware of the antic that had occurred, so he refused when I asked for his help after school.

I look around my kitchen desperately, longing for Imogene to magically appear from the hallway. Heck, I'll even take Doug. I just want someone that's done this stuff before. Sadly, realizing my hopes won't come true, I bow my head, taking another look at my homework. Occasionally, I mutter a few swears towards Steve – a rarity for me.

I'm very thankful when the phone starts ringing.

I leap up from my seat, darting for the phone. I nearly trip over my feet, and although I'm alone, I decide to make myself look a little more presentable before answering. I run my fingers through my hair, and on the fourth ring, I answer.

"Hello, this is the Beasley residence."

"Hey, it's Steve. You busy?"

"No," I answer, leaning against the wall. "I'm trying to do my algebra, but I have no idea what I'm doing because you decided it'd be fun to distract me." Steve starts to chuckle.

"You busy this weekend?" I'm trying to remain annoyed with him, but I can't help it; I find myself starting to smile.

"N-No, not that I know of," I stammer, wiping my palm on my skirt. "Why?"

"I was wonderin' if you wanna go out this weekend. We could go to the Nightly Double or we could go to a restaurant." I bite my lip, trying to contain my growing excitement.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"I guess I'll let you go, so you can go continue with your homework. I'll see you tomorrow in algebra, Eileen." I sigh, internally debating with myself over what I should do. Before I can think twice, I'm voicing my inner thoughts.

"Steve, wait, don't go," I say. "Do y-you understand how to do the homework?"

"I dunno, I ain't actually looked at the homework yet."

"Can you look?"

"I guess," He groans. Steve sets the phone down, creating a loud noise, before heading off. Finally, after a few moments, he comes back. "Nope. I ain't got a clue on how to do it."

"Well, can you come over anyway?"

"I'm on my way."

* * *

I'll admit, I'm a little nervous with some of the things that happened. I'll spare you the time and not go into details.

Please. I would LOVE to hear from every single one of you. I would really appreciate if you guys left a review, telling me what you thought of this chapter. Your feedback gives me motivation to write. :)


	8. No One Like You

**Sixteen Candles**  
_Chapter Eight_

**Author's Note:** Oh, Man. I'm so sorry for the delay in between this chapter and the last. A couple weekends ago, I was sick, and I was seriously too tired to function. And this previous weekend, I spent it with a relative.

On a serious note though, I'm losing motivation for this story. I have absolutely no desire to discontinue it, but I'm losing inspiration. I feel like people aren't enjoy it, and I feel like this story is just here and taking up space, lol. Please, if you like this story, would you leave me a review? I will really appreciate it, and it'll really make my day. Whether you realize it or not, a simple "that was awesome. update soon" helps A LOT. :)

* * *

"I parked my truck in that parkin' lot down the road," Steve shares, holding his notebook firmly under his arm. "Ain't your folks home?" I grab the sleeve of his shirt, shaking my head.

"No, they're not," I answer, yanking him inside my house. "But my whole family is going to be home soon, so we're going to my room." Steve steps past me silently, but I don't doubt that a vulgar comment is brewing inside his head.

He looks around my house, and honestly, I feel bad. Our front room is decorated with a bunch of useless items, and I almost feel like it's rubbing our amount of wealth - which is nothing compared to the West side - in his face.

I sigh, running my hand through my hair. "I'm sorry." Steve merely shrugs, knowing exactly what I'm talking about.

"It ain't your fault."

XxXxXxX

I take a seat on my bed, shaking my head slightly at how Steve is hogging the whole mattress. "So, why me?" He inquires, moving his left arm behind his head. I lean against my other pillow, pulling my homework onto my lap.

"What do you mean?"

"You asked for my help with this homework when there's a shit ton of smarter kids in the class." I bend my knees, shrugging my shoulders in response.

"I don't know," I answer. "You called me, and I'm not friends with anyone else in our class," I take another look at my homework, automatically growing frustrated with it again. I scoot down my bed, allowing my eyes the opportunity to stare at the ceiling. "I hate school." I sigh, absentmindedly throwing my notebook and pencil onto the ground. Steve snorts, throwing his arm around me.

"You and me both," he shares. I sigh again, rolling onto my stomach. "I'm ready to be outta that hellhole." Steve continues, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Two more years, Steve, and then high school will be nothing more than a memory." I grin, laying my head on his chest. He groans, running his hand slowly around my back.

"It can't go by fast 'nough." Silently, I start to trace scribbles on his chest, letting his comment sink in.

Two more years until I'm on my own.

We continue to lay together in silence. My mind wanders from anything to if Steve is enjoying this much as I am or to when someone is going to be home. Are we going to get caught?

Our front door squeaks open; seconds later, my father's deep voice echoes through the whole house. "Eileen, are you home?" I pull away from Steve quickly.

"You have to hide, Steve, and fast," His enlarged eyes dart around my room, desperately searching for a hiding place. "Switch me places and hide beside my bed." I command, climbing over him. He silently obeys before flopping onto the floor. "You moron!" I cry. "Not so loud!"

My bedroom door swings open before Dad peeks his head inside. Although he wears a smile on his face, he also looks a little confused. "Honey, who were you talking to?"

I can feel my blood run cold, and it takes me everything I have to remain calm. I've never been good at lying, and my parents have always seen through my excuses. "I, um, well," I stumble over my words, and the added pressure of Dad staring me down, waiting for an answer, doesn't help my case. "I was talking to myself, Dad." I sigh, knowing there's absolutely no way he'll buy it.

Dad stares at me blankly, debating on if he should call me out on the BS excuse I gave him or not. Slowly, he changes positions. Dad purses his lips, leaning against the doorframe. "If you insist, Biscuit Butt." He says hesitantly, backing out the doorway.

Once the door is latched, Steve starts to laugh - hard. I grab a pillow, throwing it as hard as I can at him. "It's not funny!" Still laughing, he starts to sit up.

"I ain't too sure if I wanna hear how you got that nickname or not."

"I'm not telling you anyway," I growl, hitting him again. "Stop laughing! You weren't suppose to hear that."

"You wanted me to come over earlier."

"Now, I want you to leave," I scowl, crossing my arms. "And I'm not even going to attempt to sneak you out through the front door. Have fun leaving through the window."

"It ain't like it's gonna be hard," Steve rolls his eyes, opening the window. He easily hoists himself up and through the window, leading me to believe he's a professional at sneaking out. Once Steve's feet hit the ground, he turns around. His forever present, annoying smirk is plastered on his face. "See ya tomorrow, Biscuit Butt." He teases. I bite my tongue hard, flipping him the bird. Steve starts to laugh again before strolling off to his truck.

I repeat to myself that I hate him, but even I fail to believe that lie.

XxXxXxX

Mr Anderson stands in front of my desk, staring down at me, silently letting me know he's disappointed that I didn't do my homework.

Personally, I still blame Steve.

My grade cries tears of joy when I realize Steve isn't showing up to second period, and although I'm a little happy, I can't deny that I'm more upset. Sure, there's no doubt that he's going to be picking on me more since he's aware of my embarrassing nickname, but if I'm being completely honest with myself, I have to admit that I enjoy his teasing.

I enjoy the attention he gives me.

Sadly for me, chemistry progresses forward in the same exact fashion that algebra did.

No sign of Steve and mixed emotions.

XxXxXxX

"Where's ol' Steve-O at, Miss Eileen?" Two-Bit asks, stuffing his face with hamburger. I shrug my shoulders, failing to meet his eyes.

"I bet he's lovesick." Soda grins, looking towards the Mickey Mouse clad teen.

Each of them continue exchanging reputation harming comments about Steve with each other and the whole table, making it incredibly awkward for me; I feel like I'm going to suffocate.

Although she said she doesn't mind, I still can't help but feel like a bad friend to Evie. Steve and I have something more than a friendship going on, and it feels like I'm stabbing her in the back somehow.

I hate the feeling.

XxXxXxX

Soda looks absolutely petrified. Two-Bit looks angry. Sandy looks nauseous. Evie doesn't pay attention. Dallas and Sylvia appear unfazed. "What the hell happened to ya?" Soda inquires. Slowly, I turn around. Steve is advancing towards our table at an alarming speed, and he looks irate.

He storms over to me, yanking the free seat away from the table before plopping down. "What the heck happened to you, Steve?" Sandy asks sweetly, hopping to get an answer out of him. He merely shakes his head.

"It ain't nothin' I can't handle." He growls, laying his left arm across the back of my chair. Soda watches his friend, internally debating with himself over whether he should continue to prod for information or not.

With a heavy sigh, he settles back in his seat, continuing with his lunch.

After lunch, Steve walks me back to my fourth period. Biting my lip hard, I decide to press my luck, wondering if I can get any answers out of him. "Will you tell me what happened to you?" I ask, looking up at him. His mood turns bitter again, and I fear he'll snap at me. Instead, he shakes his head.

"It's nothin', Eileen," he says through gritted teeth.

"It's nothing, Steve?" I press. He nods his head. "If it's nothing, then why is your face all bruised? Why is there dried blood on your forehead?" Steve grabs my upper arm, pulling me off to the side.

"You wanna know what happened?" He asks angrily. Weakly, I nod my head. "I'll tell you. You ready? It was them fucking soc. They thought it'd be funny to jump me on my way inta school today. It was six on one. That's real fucking fair. Course they beat the shit outta me. If it woulda been two or three, I coulda handle 'em, but no. Them assholes thought six on one would be real fucking fair." He rolls his eyes, exhaling dramatically. Steve drops my arm, and although he wasn't yelling at me directly, I can't help but feel the urge to cry. "I'll see you in sixth period." He grumbles. Steve turns sharply before storming off down the hall.

With a heavy sigh, I wipe the tears from my eyes before heading back to civics alone.

XxXxXxX

Jacquelyn pleads with me for several moments after school to join her for the student government meeting, claiming she doesn't want to walk home alone. I feel bad; normally, I would've agreed to stay with her for something like this, but after the events that happened today, I'm ready to go home, and call it a day.

Soda had told me, earlier in civics, not to worry about it; he said that Steve was having a terrible day and had tendencies to take it out on anyone he can – whether they're male or female.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that it'll take a lot more than that to get over the pain I'm feeling from suffering through Steve's wrath.

Then, in study hall, Steve barely acknowledged me. I wouldn't admit it aloud, but that hurt more than when he furiously screamed his story to me after lunch.

Beside me, a familiar beat-up truck slows down; a quick honk of a horn successfully catches my attention. Beside me, Steve is staring at me – occasionally, his eyes flicker towards the road in front of him. "Get in the truck," he commands. "I wanna talk to you." After experiencing what I did today, I comply easily, not wanting to revisit his previous mood.

Plus, his bruised up face makes him look way more intimidating. I start for the passenger's side, and when Steve catches that I'm obeying, he stops.

"You ain't mad 'bout earlier, are ya?" He asks, speeding up. Buckling my seatbelt, I shake my head silently.

"No," I sigh. "I don't blame you for being that upset, I guess, but you really scared me. I thought you were mad at me from the way you were yelling at me."

"We still on for Saturday?" I nod my head, biting my lip, resisting the growing smile. Instantly, any hurt he caused me earlier is lifted, and my heart starts to race. I feel myself falling a little harder for him.

"Yeah," I answer, allowing the smile to slip through. "Hey, Steve?" His eyebrows raise, letting me know that he's listening. "Can you give me a ride home too?"

"How 'bout we go to The Dingo instead. I'm starvin'."

* * *

Eileen and Steve's relationship is starting, and to be honest, I'm unsure of how I feel about the way Steve tells Eileen the story about the soc. I'm afraid he was too harsh, but hey, he was mad, and no one wants to mess with Steve Randle when he's fired up. Right?

I hope you guys liked this chapter, and please don't hesitate with leaving me feedback. I will really appreciate it, and your feedback makes my day! Plus, I'm in desperate need of motivation, and I can assure you that your reviews inspire me to continue writing. :)


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